Homemade Three Cheese Alfredo Sauce

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Skip the jarred stuff and make this easy creamy Homemade Three Cheese Alfredo Sauce instead. It's a classic the whole family will love that's ready in no time!

My oldest is my huge pasta lover. She will request a pasta dish at least once a week when she helps me with the menu, which is totally fine with me, especially when it comes to gluten-free pasta these days that makes it even easier to love classic recipes like my Homemade Three Cheese Alfredo Sauce. I mean, really, who wants to miss out on the deliciousness?

What is Alfredo Sauce?

Alfredo sauce is a classic Italian sauce usually made with butter, parmesan cheese, and heavy cream. If you are gluten-free, you probably notice a lot of the jarred sauces contain thickening agents, which makes these sauces usually not so safe for those on a gluten-free diet. Plus, even when I wasn't gluten-free, I was never a huge fan of these sauces.

Lucky for you, you can still have a delicious alfredo sauce that is not only gluten-free but totally grain-free that tastes even better than you thought it could.

What makes it better?

This homemade alfredo sauce is so creamy and delicious, and I can almost guarantee you probably already have ingredients on hand.

• Heavy Whipping Cream - This adds a deeper, richer flavor. You can substitute this for some half and half if you want it a little bit lighter. For this recipe, I prefer the heavy cream.
• Milk - I usually use whole milk for this recipe, but you can use what you like here. The milk with the cream really helps to balance each other out and make the sauce the perfect thickness.
• Cream Cheese - Hear me out, this is going to sound crazy, but it really does add a lot of creaminess without a roux and adds more flavor than plain butter.
• Cheeses - You can just use Parmesan if you want, but I prefer to do a mixture of Parmesan and Asiago in this sauce. You can even use your favorite Italian cheese mix for a more rounded flavor profile. One thing is to stick with a harder cheese and avoid something like a mozzarella. Also, look for one that doesn't have anti-caking ingredients as these have a harder time melting smoothly into the sauce.
• Italian Seasoning - Use what you like here to add that nice Italian flavor to the end sauce.
• Garlic - I prefer roasted garlic in this recipe, but you can use what you like, either fresh or garlic powder.
• Salt and Pepper - A little bit goes a lot way, but it brings the dish home.

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Tips and Tricks

Use room temperature cream cheese and cut it into smaller cubes. This will make it easier for the cream cheese to melt into the sauce.

Use freshly grated cheeses if possible. Sometimes, the prepackaged cheeses have an anti-caking ingredient, which can cause the cheeses not to melt properly, leading to a slightly grainy or lumpy sauce.

If you want a thicker sauce, let it simmer a bit longer or add more cheeses. This will bring it together more. The sauce also thickens more as it cools, so keep that in mind when letting it go longer.

If your sauce becomes too thick, just a bit more milk or cream to the pan will help loosen it up a bit.

If your sauce separates (usually because it's been sitting at room temperature for too long or sometimes in the fridge), don't worry. Just pour the sauce into a skillet over medium heat and whisk till it's back together. You can also place it in a blender with a tiny bit of milk or cream and blend until it's smooth again.

Let the sauce cool - this sauce thickens as it cools; I usually like to let it sit over the pasta for five minutes or so before eating to let it cool and really stick to the pasta.

Storage and Make-Ahead

Alfredo sauce can be made ahead and even frozen. All you have to do is let the sauce fully cool and then place it in a freezer-safe container and pop it into the freezer for up to about six months.

When you are ready to use it, simply reheat it over medium-low heat while stirring and then tossing it with your favorite pasta.

If your sauce separated while frozen, just keep whisking, and it will come back together.

How to Make Alfredo Sauce

1. In a saucepan or skillet, place the milk and cream cheese over medium heat. Stir the cream cheese around until it has melted into the milk.
2. Once the cream cheese is melted, stir in the heavy cream, Italian seasoning, and garlic and let it simmer until it starts to thicken.
3. Slowly add the cheeses and whisk until it has melted and let it simmer and thicken for about five minutes.
4. Once the sauce is to the desired thickness, add the salt and pepper to taste.
5. Toss the sauce with your favorite gluten-free pasta and enjoy!

What to take it up a notch?

I love to make alfredo sauce my own, which means adding some of my favorite veggies and protein to really make it a meal.
Some of my favorite things to add are sauteed mushrooms, onions, broccoli, spinach, and even chicken.

For things like onions, mushrooms, and broccoli, I will sauté them before making the sauce and then adding everything together. Spinach, I tend to hold off until after the sauce because I like it just slightly wilted into the sauce.

I like to do my chicken separately, but you can totally cook this in the same skillet and then add the sauce ingredients to the chicken.

Need more gluten-free pasta love?

Million Dollar Spaghetti Squash Bake

Weeknight Skillet Chili Mac and Cheese

Easy Beef Stroganoff

Classic Italian Meatballs 

Pistachio Spinach Pesto

​If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #grainfreetable or @grainfreetable on Instagram. I’d love to see what you come up with!